1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of hockey sticks and the like, and more particularly to a blade adapted for use with balls instead of hockey pucks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the advent of in-line skates, roller hockey has become increasingly popular. With the exception of the in-line skates and a ball, players often use ice hockey equipment, including ice hockey sticks, when playing roller hockey.
Hockey sticks in general, and ice hockey sticks in particular, have experienced dramatic changes throughout the years. As a result, ice hockey sticks have changed from a plain wooden stick having a solid, straight blade to a significantly improved stick that may include a metallic or composite handle coupled to a curved wooden blade that is reinforced with fiberglass or the like.
Other changes include constructing the hockey stick blade out of nontraditional materials such as plastics. U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,240 discloses a hockey stick including a blade having a plurality of interconnected plates made of plastic or composite molding materials. The plates form a network of open cells or apertures through the blade. U.S. Pat. No. 237,636 also discloses a hockey stick having a blade with apertures through the blade. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 325,412 discloses a hockey stick having a blade with an undulated bottom edge. The undulation forming voids that extend upwardly into the body of the blade.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,320 discloses a hockey practice device that includes a hockey stick and a puck substitute. The hockey stick blade has a slot along its base and the puck substitute has a groove in the upper surface for receiving the base of the hockey stick blade. The puck substitute is slidably connected to the blade, when the base of the blade is resting in the groove of the puck substitute, by a pin that is attached to puck substitute and that passes through the slot.
While the above-mentioned improved hockey sticks and the above-cited patents show improvements and advances in hockey sticks, these hockey sticks are not well suited for roller hockey where a spherical object is used instead of a puck. One problem is that hockey players prefer to manipulate the hockey stick when catching a pass so that the face of the blade receiving the puck forms an acute angle to the ice. The blade's angle to the ice enables a player to trap the puck between the top portion of the blade and the ice surface. Because of the higher profile dimension of roller hockey balls, the height of hockey stick blades and the relatively flat surfaces of known hockey blades, roller hockey balls are difficult to "trap" or catch with conventional hockey sticks.
Another related problem pertains to shooting a roller hockey ball. Similar to catching a puck, hockey players begin many of their shots by using the ice and the top portion of the blade to trap or cup the puck against the ice surface. As they bring the puck forward the blade of the stick rotates along its horizontal axis causing the blade to be generally perpendicular to the ice surface. The shot is completed by a quick rotation along the blades vertical axis causing the tip of the blade to rapidly accelerate towards the target. Because a roller hockey ball does not trap as readily as a puck, if at all, when using an ice hockey stick, control of a ball is difficult to achieve. Furthermore, because the roller balls are less dense and have less surface area in contact with the ice, they tend to bounce or ride up on the surface of the blade when the blade opens up, or become perpendicular to ice, during the shot making it difficult for the player to shoot a roller hockey ball accurately with an ice hockey stick as compared to a puck.
Another problem is that ice hockey stick blades tend to ride up and over roller hockey balls. As the user exerts pressure on a rolling ball with a flat solid blade, the surface of the blade grips the ball causing it to follow the balls rolling motion.
Still another problem is that solid hockey stick blades may create unwanted air resistance. This air resistance may have more impact on roller hockey balls that are considerably less dense than ice hockey pucks.
Yet another problem is that larger hockey blades equate to increased weight and correspondingly to increased wrist and forearm fatigue.
Accordingly, a need exists in the art for a roller hockey stick comprising a blade which is light weight while providing acceptable strength, which provides the desired characteristics for maximum control of a spherical object, like roller hockey balls, which meets acceptable safety standards and which is also cost effective.